Prince George’s County Fire Fighter/Medic Captain Donny
Fletcher knows the feeling of falling through a burnt out section of a house
and holding on for your life waiting for someone to rescue you. Fletcher fell through a burnt out stairwell in July of 2015 and required rescue by another firefighter. Today, he heard the
Incident Commander transmit a firefighter had fallen through the roof of a
burning house and he knew he had to help.

Around 1:00 pm, January 5, Public Safety Communications
received at least two 911 calls stating a house was on fire in the 9300 block
of Old Marlboro Pike in Upper Marlboro.Firefighters arrived to find smoke coming from a 1-story single family
home and initiated a search for an unaccounted occupant.Firefighters stretched hose lines into the
house and started to knock the fire down.All searches for occupants were negative and firefighters continued with
the firefight.The fire extended up into
a large attic area as firefighters from Truck 837, Ritchie Fire Station, started
to open up the roof to relieve the interior of high heat and thick smoke
conditions.

Incident Commanders, Battalion Chief 3 Denny Chatel and
Executive Officer Assistant Fire Chief Alan Doubleday, observed two
firefighters operating on roof just as one of those firefighters fell through a
weakened portion into the attic.The
firefighter fell through up to his shoulders and was enveloped in a sudden rush
of high heat and thick smoke coming up from the attic.

Having observed the fall Battalion Chief 3 transmitted that
a firefighter needed assistance and activated the Rapid Intervention Team (RIT) to
assist.The other firefighter from
Ritchie, Volunteer Assistant Chief William Cunningham Jr., immediately went to aid his fellow crew-member and was able to support
him from falling further into the attic but required help in lifting him out of
hole.

Additional assistance arrived with Captain Fletcher and Lieutenant Chris Blackistone and Fire Fighter William Philpott from the
RIT team. Members of the RIT were from the Upper Marlboro Fire/EMS Station 820. The four firefighters lifted the firefighter up and out of
attic and back onto the roof where other firefighters assisted him down a
ladder to awaiting medics.

Firefighters were careful not to overload an already
comprised roof as some stood by near the roofline and ladders to assist the
injured firefighter down to ground level.

Fortunately, the firefighter that fell was wearing his full
personal protective gear including his self-contained breathing apparatus with
face piece on and breathing air.This
firefighter was able to walk away from this “near miss” without injury, in
large part, due to his donning full protective gear and using SCBA during roof
operations.After a medic assessment the
firefighter appeared to be in good shape and remained on the fire ground.

Firefighters extinguished the remaining fire within 30
minutes of arrival.One dog was found
inside the burning house with firefighters attempting resuscitative measures
before pronouncing the dog deceased.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. There were no injuries reported.

Smoke Showing from roof prior to rescue. Photo by Brad Bell

Firefighters surrond and prepare to lift firefighter out of the attic he fell into.
(Cunningham, Fletcher, Blackistone (helmet fell off hosting FF) and Philpott)
Note the heavy smoke coming from the hole he fell through.
Photo by Fire Fighter Bryan Hogan

Firefighter is out of attic and back on roof being helped to ladder (firefighter in full PPE in front of ladder
with Captain Fletcher(black PPE) reaching out to him.
Photo by Fire Fighter Krystal Brooks

Firefighter is assisted off the roof. Photo by Fire Fighter Krystal Brooks

Firefighter is assisted down ladder to awaiting medics. Photo by Krystal Brooks

Fire Captain Fletcher after the rescue, Photo by Brady.

The attic area received a thorough wet down from Silver Hill Truck 829. Photo by Brady

LODD April 15, 2016

Fire Fighter/Medic Lieutenant John "Skillet" Ulmschneider

Donate to Sparky Fire Fund

Tragically firefighters will find pets that have been injured in home fires. Sometimes owners are not availiable to bring their pet to a emergency vet or may not have the resources to afford medical care. The Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department and the Anne Arundel County SPCA have teamed up and created a fund whereas medical care for the pet would be covered in part or in full.
Please consider donating today. Please designate your donation to the Sparky Fire Fund.
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